


Most Cherished Memory

by spy_d_er



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Bars and Pubs, Multi, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24202294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spy_d_er/pseuds/spy_d_er
Summary: It's a Friday night and Ron has brought his new girlfriend Hermione to the pub to meet his best mates, Draco and Harry.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy & Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 3
Kudos: 58





	Most Cherished Memory

“My career on stage was short but it was certainly memorable.” Ron murmured.

Draco snorted into his pint glass whilst Harry tried (and failed) to hide a snigger behind his hand. Hermione just looked confused.

It was Friday night and Ron had made the decision to bring his new girlfriend Hermione along to the pub to meet his best mates, Draco and Harry. So far it had been going quite well and his friends had been behaving themselves, but that was until Hermione had asked him if he wanted to perform a song with her as it just so happened to be karaoke night. Ron had refused rather adamantly so, after Hermione asked him why he didn’t want to do it, he had made this vague reply. Ron could see that she was intrigued as to why he was so hell-bent on not getting up to sing and he knew that she had figured out that it was more than him simply being rubbish at it.

“What do you mean ‘career on stage’ and why was it memorable?” she asked him, using air quotes, “Is there a story?”

When he didn’t answer, Hermione turned to where Harry was sitting opposite her with Draco situated unapologetically in his lap. Draco looked positively gleeful at the prospect of telling her one of Ron’s most embarrassing memories and was practically buzzing with excitement. This forced Harry to remove his chin from where it was resting over Draco’s shoulder for fear that his glasses might fall off. Ron knew that Hermione wouldn’t stop trying to needle the story out of them and it was only a matter of time before Harry gave in and told her, which, if he was being honest, is what he hoped would happen before Draco got there first and had Hermione laughing at his expense for the whole pub to hear. He thought that at least Harry would try to be considerate of his feelings when Draco certainly wouldn’t be.

“Oh, there’s a story alright,” Draco told her. “It’s my most cherished memory.” He then sighed dreamily and proceeded to lean back into Harry, closing his eyes as if playing the memory in his head.

“What he means to say,” Harry started, used to his boyfriend’s dramatics and looking quite comfortable in his seat despite Draco being at least a head taller than him. “Is that it’s a rather sensitive subject for Ron so we usually don’t like to talk about it.”

After hearing this, Ron was rather glad to still have Harry as a friend after all these years and was relieved that Harry still had a heart and hadn’t been entirely corrupted by Draco, who definitely didn’t.

“So, you just don’t talk about it at all then?” Hermione asked, leaning forward in her chair, curiosity peaked.

Ron began to open his mouth to quickly change the subject but was beaten to it by Draco.

“No, me and Potter here just don’t bring it up around darling, precious WonWon,” he told Hermione, “We laugh about it all the time at home. I find that it’s the easiest way to cheer Harry up after a long day...That is, among other things.” he finished, waggling his eyebrows and sending Harry a lewd grin. This earned him a thump on the arm from Harry, who had now turned beet-red, and a giggle from Hermione.

Not wanting to stick around once Draco inevitably launched into one of his dramatic retelling's, Ron turned to Hermione and mumbled something to her about going to the bar for another round. He quickly stood up and hurried off to the bar, but not before hearing Draco tell Hermione to ‘settle down for the captivating tale that is ‘The Great Christmas Carol Concert Disaster of ‘04’’. Ron had been so consumed in his worrying about Hermione’s reaction that he hadn’t realised that he’d arrived at the bar. The bartender cleared his throat rather loudly, rousing him from his thoughts, and was looking impatient, making Ron realise that this wasn’t the first time the bartender had tried to get his attention. With a muttered apology Ron ordered four more beers and set about watching their table from afar. He felt his stomach drop at the sight of Draco, who was gesticulating wildly and no doubt telling his over-exaggerated recount of Ron’s greatest failure to Hermione who looked completely invested in his story. Harry however, looked like he wasn’t even listening and was starting to look uncomfortable with Draco shifting constantly in his lap and with every large gesture, seemed to hold back a wince. His discomfort, however, went completely unnoticed by Draco and Hermione, who were both consumed in the anecdote.

After fumbling a bit with the change, Ron paid for the beers and started to walk back to the table at a snail’s pace, being extra careful not to spill the drinks. He set them down in the middle of the table - subsequently stopping Draco in his enthusiastic flailing (much to Harry’s relief) when he reached for one - and reclaimed his seat next to Hermione. Ron grabbed the pint closest to him and downed three large gulps in quick succession before addressing the table.

“My reputation better not be completely ruined.” he tried to joke with a strained smile that gave away his nerves. 

“It’s not.” Hermione replied reassuringly, placing her hand on his knee just as Harry snorted and muttered “What reputation?”, startling a laugh out of Draco.

“What do you mean ‘It’s not’? That was the most embarrassing moment of my life!” Ron exclaimed incredulously, but not before he had shot a glare across the table for Harry’s sardonic retort.

Hermione gave Draco and Harry a vicious glare of her own after they had both started outright laughing at him before saying “Well it’s not that embarrassing really, plenty of people get stage fright.” In a matter-of-fact manner. “And it’s not as if the old church grannies don’t already know the words to ‘Away in a Manger’. Anyways you were nine, they probably found it adorable.” she finished in a tone that doesn’t garner any dispute, before turning to Draco and immediately going back to their previous conversation - a conversation that turned out to be about a mutual friend and not anything remotely to do with Christmas carols.

Ron was rendered speechless. For most of his life his friends had mocked him incessantly for running off stage and throwing up in a vase at church, but now he is being told not to be embarrassed. For Ron this was unheard of as his rather large family and nearly all his friends had made it their life mission to see that he lives his life in a constant state of embarrassment. Ron knew that he wouldn’t be able to live without any of them but couldn’t help but think that he could absolutely live without all of their relentless teasing.

A sudden bout of Draco’s obnoxious laughter brought him out of his musings and back to the present, where he was warmed by the fact that Hermione seemed to fit into their little group as if she’d known them for years. Ron could only hope that the following day went just as smoothly. After all, that was when Hermione would be meeting Ginny and the Twins.


End file.
